Page 24 of Wolves of the Rising Moon

Jonah’s giving us both what I’m coming to know as his Sigma face. An expression that gives away nothing but the very absence of affect tells me he’s serious. “I’m not one to tell other packs how to run their business. But you know as well as I do that this is different. The alpha invited us to share what our packs are like. That’s it. That’s all we have to do.”

“You know it’s more than that, right?” I ask.

“Sure. Jaxson has a lot riding on it, but the excuses you two came up with are just that. Excuses.”

Rafe bristles across from me. His scent leans a bit sharper, posture stiffening fractionally. “Myreasons—”

Jonah cuts him off. “Yourexcusesare lame. And I think you both know that.”

I pull my mouth into an exaggerated frown. “Hey, that’s not nice. They aren’t lame.”

Jonah turns to me, eyes dialed into mine. “They are, Willa. Mari knows enough to handle this or the healer mantle wouldn’t have shifted to her.”

I open my mouth to object, because the only reason the spell worked at all is that we’re twins. At least, that’s the only reason that makes sense to me. Healer mantles don’t just move on to whoever because some spell says so.

In my mind, it’s the same as using magic to take Pack Alpha away from Rafe.

But Jonah holds up a hand and my obedient omega mouth falls silent.

“However,ifa wolf is stupid enough to get injured badly enough, they need a healer while she’s alone, that’ll be on them.”

Jonah rounds on Rafe now. “And as for your excuse—”

Rafe gives him a warning growl. “Don’t push your luck, Akokli.”

A rush of alpha dominance floods into the space, making me duck my head low and keep my eyes firmly on the floor.

But Jonah barrels onward, as though the energy Rafe just pulled didn’t affect him. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here shivering, trying to shake off all the extra alpha zing on my skin. “It’s quite possible no one wants to hear what we have to say, but it’s not because you’re a small-time wolf stuck on a mountain. It’s because you’re not one of them. And that’s to be expected, but no reason to keep you from going.”

It’s probablybad that my first ever flying experience is on a private jet. After Jonah successfully convinced both Rafe and me to go, it was a mad dash to pack a bag, get down the mountain, and to the airport.

“It’s not as big as I thought,” I say idly as the limo—yup, limo—pulls right up on the tarmac no more than thirty feet from the boarding stairs.

“I told you it’s not a commercial flight,” Jaxson says, as he waits for the driver to open the door for us. “No lines when you fly private. No TSA, no baggage claim. It’s the best way to fly.”

“Sure, if you have a wealthy vampire benefactor,” Rafe says under his breath.

Jaxson doesn’t miss it. “Eden takes good care of me. We take care of each other,” he says proudly and leads the way to the jet.

Yup. It’s definitely bad thatthisis my first experience. I settle into the plush beige leather of the chair that seems molded to my body perfectly and is far more comfortable than anything in my cottage.

How much do you think a private jet costs?I ask Rafe silently as he straps himself next to me.

More than what an ethical logging company can make while still paying their employees a livable wage,he says quickly, as if he’d wondered the same. I glance over to give him a smile but stop short.

He looks horrible. His skin is sallow, and he’s got smears of bluish-purple under his eyes.

Holy… are you OK?

“Hey, Rafe. You’re looking a little green there, man. You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Jonah says a little too loudly, as he situates himself in the seat across from us.

Instead of responding, Rafe winces and clamps his jaw tight.

I lay my hand on top of his and give it a good squeeze. Sheesh,I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you—

Don’t say it.Even though it was in my head, Rafe’s sharp command still has me lowering my gaze a few degrees.If you say it, I’m gonna be sick.

I give his hand another squeeze and sit back in my chair, wishing there was something I could do to help him.

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